Diane Abbott Blasts Shabana Mahmood Over New UK Settlement Rules and Reveals What Her Immigrant Mother Did for Britain

Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott has strongly criticised the government’s new immigration settlement rules, warning that the changes could unfairly affect thousands of migrants who came to Britain legally to work and build their lives.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Abbott challenged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood over the proposed changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which allows eligible migrants to live and work in the UK without a time limit.

The Labour government has announced changes to how long migrants must wait before they can apply for permanent settlement in Britain. Under the proposals, some workers could face much longer waiting periods, while certain groups would be allowed to settle sooner.

Mahmood has faced criticism from different sides of the political debate after indicating that some workers could qualify for settlement after five years, rather than the 15 years previously discussed.

However, Abbott believes the government has not done enough to protect migrants who are already living and working legally in Britain.

During her speech, she criticised politicians who use immigration to score political points, saying the debate should focus on the real people whose lives could be affected.

She said it was wrong for politicians to treat immigration as a political game when families, workers and people who have spent years contributing to Britain could face uncertainty about their future.

Abbott welcomed the decision to exempt care workers from some of the new settlement arrangements but questioned why similar protection was not being offered to other workers.

She expressed particular concern about applying new rules to people who had already moved to Britain under the existing immigration system.

According to Abbott, someone could enter the country legally, find employment, pay taxes and follow all the immigration requirements, only to discover that the government had changed the conditions for securing permanent residency.

She argued that this would be unfair to people who had made important decisions about their lives based on the rules in place when they arrived.

Challenging the Home Secretary directly, Abbott asked how such treatment could possibly be considered fair.

The London MP also used her speech to remind Parliament of the important role immigrants have played in Britain’s history, particularly in the National Health Service.

She revealed that her own parents were immigrants and explained that her mother worked as a nurse after coming to Britain.

Abbott said her mother belonged to the generation of immigrants who helped build and support the NHS following the Second World War.

She argued that Britain should never forget the contribution made by people who travelled from other countries to work in hospitals, care homes and other essential services.

The Labour MP also criticised suggestions that migrants come to Britain simply to receive government benefits without making any meaningful contribution to society.

She said such arguments ignored the fact that many British citizens have immigrant backgrounds and that generations of migrants have helped support the country’s economy and public services.

Abbott pointed out that immigrants continue to play an important role in the NHS today, working as nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals.

She urged politicians to recognise these contributions rather than presenting migrants as a burden on the country.

Her comments come as the government faces growing pressure over its plans to change the settlement system.

Some politicians believe Britain needs tougher immigration rules to reduce pressure on housing, public services and government spending. Others argue that changing the rules for people already living legally in the country would break the expectations under which they came to Britain.

Abbott is among the Labour MPs who have signed a letter opposing the proposals. The group compared the planned changes to policies associated with the Windrush era, raising concerns about how long-term migrants could be affected.

The Windrush scandal involved people who had lived legally in Britain for decades but later faced difficulties proving their immigration status. Some lost their jobs, were denied services or faced deportation despite having the right to remain in the country.

By making the comparison, the MPs are warning the government about the possible consequences of introducing immigration changes without adequate protection for people already living in Britain.

Abbott’s intervention highlights growing disagreements over how the government should balance its plans to tighten immigration controls with its responsibility to treat existing migrants fairly.

For many foreign workers, the biggest concern is whether the government will change the settlement conditions they expected to follow when they first arrived in the UK.

Abbott believes people who entered Britain legally and have followed the rules should not suddenly face a different path to permanent settlement.

Her message to the government was that immigration decisions should recognise both the lives of the people affected and the contributions migrants have made to Britain over many generations.